News Archives: Admissions

BROWNWOOD – October 31, 2013 – The Howard Payne University New Braunfels Center will host two free preview events for those wishing to pursue or continue their higher education careers. An event for college graduates interested in HPU’s Master of Business Administration degree will be held November 5 from 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at 1259 Loop 337 North in New Braunfels, Suite #200 (Aflac Suite). An undergraduate preview event for students wishing to begin or complete their bachelor’s degrees will take place November 14 from 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at the New Braunfels High School library.

Faculty and staff members will discuss the admissions process and academic offerings available in New Braunfels, and attendees will have the opportunity to meet them and ask questions.

Dale Meinecke, assistant vice president for extended programs and church relations, and his wife, Christy, an HPU admission counselor, live and work in New Braunfels.

“We absolutely love that our jobs revolve around telling people about the quality, Christ-centered higher education they can experience right here in New Braunfels,” he said. “We hope people take this opportunity to meet our faculty and staff and learn more about the opportunities awaiting them.”

The preview events are free, but registration is requested. To register for either event, visit www.hputx.edu/newbraunfels. Contact Christy Meinecke at (830) 629-2366 or via e-mail at cmeinecke@hputx.edu for more information.

BROWNWOOD – September 4, 2013 – Howard Payne University announced today that the largest number of new students in more than three decades enrolled at the university for the fall 2013 semester. HPU welcomed 340 first-year students and 50 transfer students to the university. Total enrollment for the semester is 1,170 which includes undergraduate and graduate students from HPU’s Brownwood, El Paso and New Braunfels campuses.

“We’ve anxiously awaited the totals so that we could officially share the good news,” said Kevin Kirk, associate vice president for enrollment management. “This is the largest number of incoming freshmen the university has seen since the 1970s, and they are joining a great group of returning students.”

Kirk compared seeing the new students on campus to the excitement a child feels on Christmas morning.

“The HPU faculty and staff all worked so hard to bring in this incredible class of great students and we are so thankful that God chose to bless those many efforts,” he said.

“There is so much potential in each and every one of these students,” he said. “We are extremely blessed to welcome so many into the HPU family and I pray that the university, in turn, is a blessing to them.”

TaShana Hooker, a music education major from Carrollton, is a member of the freshman class.

“I’ve already met so many wonderful people, and the professors are so kind and understanding,” she said. “Most importantly, I’m able to expand my faith here without worrying about feeling uncomfortable about it. I love HPU so much, and I can’t wait to see what the rest of this semester and school year holds.”
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Photo cutline: HPU enrolled the largest number of new Yellow Jackets since the 1970s for the fall 2013 semester. New students are pictured doing the “Sting ’em” cheer during Jacket Journey, HPU’s new-student orientation week, with upperclassmen group leaders and student life staff.

BROWNWOOD – July 15, 2013 – Howard Payne University recently hosted Super Summer, a youth leadership camp created by the Baptist General Convention of Texas. The camp ran from June 24 through June 28, and 458 eighth graders to high school graduates attended. Among the leaders present were 40 HPU alumni, faculty or current students.

Super Summer was created in 1974 for the training and teaching of Christian students. Originally a cooperative effort by several churches in the Dallas area, Super Summer has grown to include many churches and camps across the state and is held at five Baptist university campuses.

“Since Super Summer returned to HPU three years ago, I have brought a group of students from our student ministry,” said Tim Stary, a 2007 HPU graduate and youth pastor from First Baptist Church in Salado. “The impact of Super Summer is huge, and many of the students had life-changing experiences with God while here.”

The camp is designed to be a challenging week of discipleship training for young Christian leaders. Students attend small-group sessions, worship services, lectures, games and other activities. The campers are divided into color-coded schools by grade. This year, HPU was the only location to offer the Purple School, designed specifically for students who feel called to ministry.

Although there were a wide variety of activities happening on campus, the week proceeded smoothly.

“Howard Payne has always done a wonderful job of rolling out the red carpet for us,” stated Leighton Flowers, director of Super Summer and youth evangelism at the Baptist General Convention of Texas. “This year’s camp went as smoothly as ever.”

Also available through Super Summer is a leadership forum for youth pastors. The leadership forum provides an opportunity for youth pastors to ask questions, present concerns and have them answered by other leaders and educators.

“We feel so honored to have hosted Super Summer weeks on our campus for the past three years,” said Dr. Gary Gramling ’81, director of HPU’s youth ministry program and professor of Christian studies. “It is an opportunity for Howard Payne University to serve as the setting for an intensive week of discipleship for some of the finest Christian students in Texas. We are grateful to God and to Texas Baptists for allowing us to be a part of such an important week in the lives of students.”

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Photo cutlines: Members of the Super Summer “Blue School” pass by HPU’s Old Main Tower while on campus for Super Summer 2013.

Kelly Wolverton, center, Super Summer recreation director and pastor of Adamsville Baptist Church near Lampasas, stops for a photo with daughters Kelsan, left, and Sharon. Kelsan is an HPU sophomore and member of the summer camp staff and Sharon will be a freshman at the university this fall.

BROWNWOOD – June 4, 2013 – Howard Payne University will host a free celebration for area high school students and family members beginning the college search process on Friday, June 7, from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m., at the KPSM (99.3) radio station parking lot at 910 Main Street in Brownwood, adjacent to the HPU campus. KPSM will broadcast live during the event and serve free hot dogs and other refreshments.

HPU’s Mobile Go Center (MGC) will be on hand for those wishing to learn more about the university and the general college search process. The 42-foot MGC trailer, equipped with laptop computers, satellite Internet and more, visits schools, community events, festivals and churches throughout the state to present information about higher education in an atmosphere comfortable to prospective students and their families. HPU acquired the trailer and accompanying 2012 Chevrolet Silverado 3500HD Crew Cab truck in 2012 through a generous grant from the Texas Pioneer Foundation of San Marcos and assistance from the Bruner Auto Family of Brownwood.

“HPU’s Mobile Go Center is a great resource for area high school students and these communities,” said Stephen Sullivan, HPU admission counselor and Mobile Go Center coordinator. “We are excited to engage Heart of Texas students in the college selection process in ways they have perhaps never experienced and assist each student in selecting a college that will be a great fit for his or her higher-education needs.”

For more information, call HPU’s Office of Admission at (325) 649-8020 or (800) 880-4478.

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Photo cutline: HPU will host a college search event for area high school students and families at KPSM’s studio on Main Street this Friday. HPU’s Mobile Go Center will be on hand for those wishing to learn more about the university and the general college search process.

BROWNWOOD – February 27, 2013 – Howard Payne University New Braunfels Center invites all who are planning to enroll in undergraduate classes at New Braunfels – or those who are just interested in learning more about the university – to attend an HPU Preview Night at New Braunfels High School. These Monday-evening sessions are scheduled for March 4, April 1 and May 6 from 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Check-in for the preview events will begin at 6 p.m.

Attendees will have the opportunity to hear from HPU professors in the bachelor’s degree programs and learn about the future plans of the HPU New Braunfels Center. Each prospective student who registers for the event at www.hputx.edu/newbraunfels will also receive a free HPU t-shirt. There is no cost to attend a preview night and participants are invited to bring their families.

“We are excited to welcome even more students from the New Braunfels area into the HPU family,” said Christy Meinecke, admission counselor for the New Braunfels Center.

Christy and her husband, Dale, who serves as assistant vice president for external programs and church relations at HPU, live and work full-time in New Braunfels.

“We’ve loved getting to know this area of Texas and have especially enjoyed meeting the people who make New Braunfels such a special community,” she said. “HPU is our passion and we find great joy in introducing more people to the university every day.”

New Braunfels High School is located at 2551 Loop 337, New Braunfels, TX, 78130.

To register for an HPU Preview Night or to learn more about the HPU New Braunfels Center, visit www.hputx.edu/newbraunfels. For more information, contact Christy Meinecke at (325) 649-8833 or via e-mail at cmeinecke@hputx.edu.

BROWNWOOD – November 16, 2012 – Howard Payne University is offering a new scholarship to students from Central Texas, which will award $48,000 over four years to eligible applicants. The Central Texas Scholarship Program is offered to students who are graduates of high schools and home schools in the Central Texas area, meet unconditional admission requirements and enroll full-time in the fall and spring semesters.

“We are excited to offer this opportunity to students from the Central Texas area,” said PJ Gramling, director of admission. “We encourage those who are interested to visit campus and learn more about the university. Our faculty and staff look forward to helping students find where they belong.”

HPU is a Christian liberal arts institution where students choose from more than 100 majors, minors and pre-professional programs in six schools: Business, Christian Studies, Education, Humanities, Music and Fine Arts, and Science and Mathematics. Students on campus participate in a wide variety of organizations including the Student Speaker Bureau, Model U.N., Moot Court and intramural sports. Additionally, HPU students enjoy six men’s and six women’s sports through the American Southwest Conference.

High school seniors are encouraged to apply now for admission to start classes in the fall 2013 semester. The online application is free and can be found at www.hputx.edu/apply.

Prospective students are invited to visit the university to meet with faculty members and current students, tour the campus and learn more about HPU student life. For more information about the Central Texas Scholarship program and other scholarship opportunities or to schedule a visit, call the Office of Admission at 1-800-880-4478 or 325-649-8020

BROWNWOOD – October 22, 2012 – Howard Payne University’s Kevin Kirk has been promoted from assistant vice president for enrollment management to associate vice president for enrollment management. In his new role, Kirk joins HPU’s executive team as a member of the university’s administrative council.

Kirk joined the HPU staff in December 2009, after serving for 13 years at Baylor University. While at HPU, he has overseen the areas of admission and recruiting. Kirk will now also oversee student recruitment and admission processes for the El Paso and New Braunfels campuses.

Under Kirk’s leadership in 2010, the Office of Admission enrolled the largest new student class since 1996 and the university continues to see large numbers of prospective students participating in recruitment events on campus. He recently finished a term as president of the National Association for Baptist Enrollment Professionals. His department will now report to the Office of the Provost.

“We are proud of Kevin’s numerous accomplishments at HPU,” said Dr. Mark Tew, provost and chief academic officer. “He has served the university faithfully and we are pleased that he has accepted this new role on campus.”

Kirk graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree from Baylor University in 1993. He and his wife, Lauren, instructor of education at HPU, have three daughters – Lindsey, Bethany and Aubrey.

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Photo cutline: Kevin Kirk was recently promoted to associate vice president for enrollment management at HPU.

BROWNWOOD – October 2, 2012 – Howard Payne University is now mobile thanks to a generous grant from the Texas Pioneer Foundation and assistance from the Bruner Auto Group of Brownwood. The new Mobile Go Center, a 42-foot trailer equipped with laptop computers, satellite Internet and more, will allow HPU to take the university to prospective students across the state.

HPU’s Mobile Go Center (MGC) will provide information on HPU and the general college search process, with the ultimate goal of increasing the number of students enrolled and succeeding in higher education programs in Texas. The MGC will visit schools, community events, festivals, churches and more to present information about higher education in an atmosphere comfortable to prospective students and their families.

The MGC center is adorned with HPU graphics and photography. It is pulled by a 2012 Chevrolet Silverado 3500HD Crew Cab, secured with assistance from the Bruner Auto Group of Brownwood.

“Thanks to this new recruiting tool, HPU is going to be able to reach students who may not have otherwise considered applying to college,” said Stephen Sullivan, MGC coordinator and admission counselor. “With all the technology and resources at our fingertips, the MGC is the next step to helping every student achieve his or her dream of receiving a higher education.”

The Texas Pioneer Foundation is a private, independent foundation created in 2004 to fund programs that will expand access to higher education for all Texas students.

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Photo cutline: HPU’s new Mobile Go Center will allow the university to share information about higher education across the state.

BROWNWOOD – July 19, 2012 – Howard Payne University hosted the annual conference of the National Association of Baptist Enrollment Professionals (NABEP) on campus July 16-18. Kevin Kirk, assistant vice president for enrollment management at HPU, finished his term as the group’s president during the conference.

“I have had the honor of serving as president to this organization this past year and hosting the conference is a great way to finish out my term,” Kirk said. “Our colleagues were here to learn, fellowship and be encouraged in their ministry to young people and their families seeking a Christian higher education.”

The event brought enrollment professionals from 12 Baptist universities and five states to Brownwood. The theme was “NABEP RoundUp 2012” and HPU’s Office of Admission set the scene with cowboy hats, boots, a rubber-band gun shooting range, a trip to a ranch and more. Ouachita Baptist University, of Arkadelphia, Ark., co-hosted the event.